Colored by Romance
by TheOceanBreathesSalty
Summary: There seemed to him to be something tragic in a friendship so colored by romance. Oneshot. Mike POV. ::Implied EvanBerry::


_Some are reaching, few are there  
Want to reign from a hero's chair  
Some are scared to fly so high  
Well this is how we have to try  
Have no envy and no fear  
Have no envy and no fear  
Brother, brother we all see  
You're hiding out so painfully  
See yourself come out to play  
A lover's rain will wash away  
Your envy and your fear  
So have no envy, and no fear _

_**~No Envy No Fear, Joshua Radin**_

* * *

**There seemed to him to be something tragic in a friendship so colored by romance.**

* * *

(m i k e _pov_)

You're kind of a quiet guy.

Actually, there's no kind of about it. You're near silent and you always have been. You've never felt the need to shout, to yell over others, to raise your voice. It's not that you don't have things to say; it's just that you've never wanted to force people to listen.

And you've never had a problem with being quiet.

Fading into the background _worked_ for you.

The only person that really noticed you was Tina, and you still aren't sure that she ever would have acknowledged you if it weren't for camp and your abs. Sometimes, it still feels like she doesn't _really_ see you, that you're just another boy, just like all the other guys in high school and that she could've picked any other one of them as easily as she picked you. You try to not focus on that too much though, because the main thing is that she _did_ pick you, not them. So you try to think about other things.

Things like how much you truly enjoy not being noticed.

The fact that no one noticed you, that you were able to fade in to the background, it made your life easier. You got to be on the football team and hang out with your boys, but you didn't have to slushy unsuspecting geeks. You got to be in Glee and dance with your friends, but you didn't have to sing all that much or get thrown into a dumpster by Karofsky.

But you're absolute _favorite_ thing about remaining unnoticed? All the things you got to hear, all the things you got to see, all the things you got to know before anyone else, simply because no on ever noticed you were there.

You knew about Babygate long before Mercedes decided to spill the beans, knew that Santana only broke up with Puck because she knew he wanted Quinn. You were the first to figure out that Quinn and Finn were about to become QuinnandFinn again after the football game, the only one to notice that Santana loved Brittany more than she loved anyone else and that Ms. Pillsbury was still in love with Schue even though she married that dentist dude.

A lifetime of observation means that you figure things out before other people do, that you notice what others don't and put together the pieces in a way that others can't.

You get to see things that other people simply don't.

You get to witness the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

You get to hear Rachel Berry and Samuel Evans talk for the first time.

* * *

It was a few days after the Finn-gave-Quinn-mono debacle and you had stayed behind in Glee to finish your math homework without the distraction of your family around. You were sitting in the back row, scribbling down answers that you're pretty sure were not even close to right when they came in.

Sam walked in first, that defeated look that had filled his eyes ever since Quinn started sniffling gone. The curiosity of what caused that look to dissapear is what causes you to stay silent instead of calling out a greeting to your fellow football player. And then _Rachel Berry_ walks in behind him.

You're so glad you didn't say anything.

You've never personally had a problem with Rachel. Sure, a lot of kids hate her and the diva attitude can be a bit much sometimes, but you've never disliked her, not really. Kurt and Mercedes and Santana all said _way_ worse things than she did and no matter what, Rachel always listened to both sides of a story, always offered support to people when they needed it.

So you didn't really think it was _that_ strange that she was willing to offer that unwavering support to Sam in the aftermath of his girlfriend's deception. However, the fact that he was letting her was a _little_ bit weird because you're pretty sure that between the poison Quinn spews about the girl and the venomous words that Santana has no problem throwing at her, Sam should have some preconceived notion to dislike Rachel Berry.

But apparently you've been underestimating the blonde dude's ability to form his own ideas.

He's smiling as Rachel sits on the piano bench, babbling on excitedly about that movie with all the blue people in it. She's grinning back, nodding her head along as if she understands each word he's saying.

"So, you're coming over tomorrow to watch it, right?" Sam asks, straddling the piano bench next to her. His back is to you so you can no longer see his face, but the smile you caught a glimpse of before he turned was so much brighter than anything you'd ever seen when he was with Quinn.

Rachel's grin drops slightly, her lips pursing uncertainly. "Are you sure? I mean, it's not that I don't wish to hang out with you. It's just that Santana doesn't like me much… And while I'm not sure if the two of you are actually dating, especially considering the way I saw her looking at Brittany during Landslide, I wouldn't want to upset her or cause issues between the two of you."

"Don't worry about it, Rae," he responds quickly and you don't miss the way her face brightens at the nickname. "Me and San are… whatever. She doesn't have any say over who I want to be friends with."

She positively beams. "So, I'll see you around seven then?"

He laughs and nods, getting up and helping her stand. "Why did we come back here anyways?" he asks, chuckling again.

"We're here because you forgot your notebook," she returns, giggling slightly. You're eyes widen in surprise.

You weren't aware Rachel _could_ giggle.

She certainly never did with Finn or Puck or Jesse.

Sam grins crookedly at her, slightly shy as he scoops a folder off the ground and offers his free arm to her. She loops her arm through his, a surprisingly bashful smile covering her face when he tightens his grip and pulls her body closer to his.

The two of them walk out the door like that, arm in arm with their bodies pressed together and smiles on their faces.

You turn unfocused eyes back to your math homework.

This is going to be _so_ interesting.

* * *

Somehow, _no one_ notices the new friendship developing between Rachel and Sam. They sit together in the classes that they share, greet each other in the hallways and talk to one another before Glee starts. And nobody seems to notice.

You're the only one who sees the way Rachel's glances linger just a moment too long, the only one who notices when Sam reaches out and brushes his fingers against her arm or her hair for no reason at all.

You watch as they form a friendship, as they bond over mutual heartbreak and quiet understanding.

You watch as they fall in love.

Sam holds the door open for Rachel, discreetly distracts Santana whenever she's about to make a mean comment. He speaks up for her against Schue in class, says that he likes her ideas and that they should be given more consideration. He glares at Finn whenever Rachel is looking more down than usual, curls his lip angrily whenever Puck makes one of his Puck-like comments and hits on his fellow hot Jew.

For her part, Rachel actually listens when Sam speaks. She'll stop talking when she notices he has something to say, take his comments into consideration and actually incorporate some of his suggestions without any fuss. She tells Lauren to shut up after a particularly rude comment about Sam's Bieber hair and practically hisses at Quinn when she comes in and asks Sam to move over a seat so she can drool all over Finn.

But they never seem to move past friendship.

The more you watch them, the more confused you get. You _know_ without a doubt that they love one another, but Sam keeps kind of dating Santana and Rachel keeps allowing everyone to assume she's still pining after Finn.

Occasionally, you hear them make plans with one another to go see a movie or go for a run, but never anything date like.

And you don't understand it.

For the first time in all your years of observation, you can't understand someone's motives, can't put together the pieces like a puzzle and figure out why someone is doing what they are. You don't understand why Sam stays with a girl he clearly doesn't like and you don't know why Rachel continues to keep up the pretense of being interested in Finn.

You _cannot_ figure it out.

All you know is that you think it's kind of horrible.

The light in Rachel's eyes dims slightly each time she sees Santana press a possessive kiss on Sam's lips, a frown covering her face when she notices their entwined hands.

Every times Rachel smiles up at Finn like he's the greatest thing in the world, Sam clenches his fists and glances away. Whenever Puck calls her 'my hot little Jew Princess' Sam's jaw tightens and his eyes close for just a second.

Not being with each other is hurting both of them.

For a while, you consider doing something about it. You think that you could change things for them, if only you spoke up.

But you're so used to being quiet.

So you stay silent, going on dates with Tina and dancing during Glee and hanging out with Matt when he comes home on the weekends. You watch as Sam and Rachel slowly break each other, as they grow progressively sadder each day that goes by without getting together.

And you decide that there's something heartbreaking about a friendship so tainted with love and want and desire, that there's something terribly sad about a relationship with so many unspoken words, so many unstated feelings.

You think that Rachel Berry and Sam Evans may have the most tragic friendship you've ever seen.

* * *

This is the first time I've ever written Mike! It was fun haha.

I disclaim the television show Glee, the movie Avatar, and the song No Envy No Fear, by Joshua Radin.

If you read Rolling in the Deep, I've been working on the next chapter. I've just been having a few issues with it. But it's coming! Soon, I promise.

Welllll, hope you guys liked it. Review? Pretty please? Tons of love to anyone who knows where the quote came from!


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